Waves are a powerful source of energy. Waves are caused by the wind as it blows across a water body. When this wind skims over the water body, an interaction is caused in which energy is exchanged between the wind and the surface of the water body. Initially ripples arise on the surface and then, the wind that skims along these ripples causes higher air pressure at the front of the wave than at the back. As a result, the ripples change into small waves. As this process continues, the waves become higher.
Wave power plants are built to extract the wave energy and convert it into useful electric power. Some of the advantages of generating electricity from wave movements are: firstly, the energy extracted is free without utilizing any fuel, secondly, waves can produce a great deal of energy since wave power is renewable, and thirdly, wave power plants are easy and inexpensive to operate and maintain, when compared to other sources such as, nuclear power, solar power, and the like. However, the problem is that it is not easy to harness the wave energy and convert it into electrical energy in large amounts. Thus, wave power stations are rare.
Several attempts have been made in the past to build devices for generating electric power from waves. For Example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,084 discloses an apparatus for generating energy from movement of water, particularly sea waves. The disclosed apparatus comprises a plurality of buoyant members interconnected to one another so as to be movable relative to one another. Each buoyant member is provided with a plate or plate like member. The apparatus is submerged below the level of the water, and means are provided for converting the relative movement of the buoyant members into useful electrical energy. However, the problem associated with the disclosed apparatus is that the buoyant members may flip over the other in large waves. This is because larger waves that pass over the end of the buoyant member would continue to lift the buoyant member. Another problem associated with the disclosed apparatus is the associated high torque low rpm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,454 discloses a wave action power plant—driven by the action waves and having a drive shaft rotated by a plurality of drive units. The drive units have a lever pivotally mounted on and extending said shaft and carrying a weight, in the form of float, which floats on the waves and rocks the lever up and down on the shaft. A ratchet mechanism causes said shaft to be rotated in one direction by the weight of the float after it has been raised by wave and the wave has passed, leaving said float free to move downwardly by gravity and apply it full weight to pull down on the lever and rotate the drive shaft. The large number of drive units ensures that there are always some of the weights pulling down on their respective levers while other weights are being lifted by waves and thereby causing continuous rotation of the drive shaft in one direction. The said levers are so mounted that they may be easily raised to bring the weights into a position wherein they are readily accessible for cleaning the bottoms thereof to remove any accumulation of barnacles, mollusks, and the like. The disclosed wave power plant is also provided with means for preventing the weights from colliding with each other as they independently move up and down on the waves. However, it may not be desirable to use weights on the floats, since some power may be wasted in order to lift the float.
Accordingly what is needed is a way to generate electric power from wave-driven water body in a fast, easy, inexpensive, and efficient manner such that the set up has less configurational complexity, involves easy set up and maintainability.